Fire-escape.



w. L. BEDINGER.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I9I5.

[j 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

W. L. BEDINGER.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPL1cAT1oN F|LED 11:11.26. 1915.

1,168,465.. v Patented 1311.18, 1916.

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To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLrAM- L. BED'IN-.Gama citizen of the United States,and resident of Springville, countyof St. Clair, State of Alabama, Ihave invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Escapes, of which the followingis a specication. v

This invention relates to anapparatus for saving life and isparticularly adapted for use as a means of escape from a tall buildingin' casevof reand as a means for escape from an aerial machine in caseofaccident. It has beenmy purpose to make a device operating on theprinciple of a parachute which will be simple in construction and whichcan be rolled oryfclded into a very compact form occupying very littlespace and weighing very little. Y

A further objecthas been to so make the construction that' it will beautomatic in its operation when it is used for the purpose of making anescape. and it will then not be necessary for the person wishing toescape to make any complicated adjustments. The

device can be rolled into such compact form that it may be attached tothe side of a suit case and then easily carried byva traveler andrwhenit is desired to use the device it is simply necessary to fasten a catchto some solid support and to,fasten a belt around the waist of the user.

The novel features of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription ltaken in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings-Figure 1 isa side view of thel apparatus embodying myinvention partly dlstended under the `weight of the user; Fig. 2 isasimilar view with'the baglike support fully distended and. releasedfrom the xed support; Fig.l 3 is a view of the device in foldedcondition with the automatically releasable 'catch holding it to ai xedsupport;v Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail 4:5` view partly in 'section ofthe releasable catch; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a portion ofthe 'spiral spring in the free mar ginal edge' of the bag at its openend; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a case showing l my devicetherein in folded condition.

Inl the drawings I have not undertaken to show the parts in properproportion, but have merely shown them in theirproper operative relationso as to make clear how the v device is to be used. Those skilled in theart will of course make the proportions to suit l Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed February 26, 1915. Serial No. 10,754.

the requirements of the particular case andthe size of the bag-likemember may be varied for personsjof different weights.

In the drawings I. haveshown a bag-like member 10 whichmay be made ofany suitable light iexible and strong fabrico'r materlal which can befolded or rolled into -a small space. The bag is closed at its 'upperend and at its lower end there is `a spring .around the margin 11tending to open the mouth of th`e bag. I preferably make this springhnthe form of a spiral coil as shown 1n Fig. 5 so that it can be easilycompressed and bent to shape in rolling 4or foldingfthe bag, but whichwill at once expand, opening the mouth of the bag, when the 'confiningmeans 1s released. To the lower open end of the bag I secure a flexiblemeans 13 which -may be a rope or cord for supporting the person from thebag, this cord being secured to a belt 14 which may pass around-the bodyj of the user below the arms with the point of attachment to the rope 13at the users back. i

The belt of. course may be buckled in front andwhen 1n place on the`operator it does not interfere with the free movement of his arms or hisbody.. The rope 13 is connected to the margin 11 of the vbag by lmeansof the flexlble ropes or cords 15. f f

At the upper'closed end of the bag and securely fastened thereto is asection 16 wlnch 1n turn 1sy connected by the cord 17 to the releasablecatch k18. This releasable catch 18 has mounted on it a lever 19 hingedat 20 and havlng an- -end 21. extending through an opening 22 in theside member 23 of the bifurcated endr of the catch. 4 The end 21 passesover to and preferably into lthe side member 24. The lower endY of thelever`19 is pressed .outward bythe coil spring 2K5 so as to normallymaintain the end 21 1n the position shownk in Fig. 4, this spring 25-bearlng on the lower projecting face 26 of the catch.. A cord 27 is-securcj to the lower end'of the lever 19 at 28 and passes through anopening in the part 26 and down through the bag-like member to the endof the ropel where it is fastened.4 The length of this cord 27 is suchthat a pull on the rope l-will tighten the cord 27 before the bag 1() isfully distended so that the spring 25 will be compressed and the end 21of the catch. willl be pulled back tol the position shown in Fig. 2. Theend 21 normally passes through the ring 29 which may be secured-to afixed support 30 and whentlie end l 21 is pulled back to the positionshown in Fig. 2 the catch is automatically released from the supportl 29so that the bag-like parachute may descend with the passenger.

It will ofcourse beunderstood that my invention is not limited to thespecific form of .the catchmechanism above described. The fixed support29 may of course be secured into some fixed part of a building near theWindow or into some part of the aeroplane or aerial machine, or thering29 may be connected to a cord or rope 31 as shown in Fig. 6 which maybesecured to any suitable lixed support. l.

When the device is not in use it may be rolled up commencing at thebottom and compressing the coil spring 12 so as to make of the device acompact bundle, as shown in Fig. 81 i' Iny order to 4hold the device insha-pe 20 When so rolled up I make use of any suitable catch ormechanism. In the drawings I have shown such mechanism consisting of theball and socket releasable catch such as will ordinarily be found onmens clothes. The ball part 32 of the catch is shown fastened to theside of the bag part 'Way down from the top .and the socket member ofthe catch is in the kpart marked 16 atthe top. When the bag is rolledinto compact shape the Socket and ball are brought together and engageeach other. In this means for releasably holding the bag in foldedcondition I make use of a loop 33 on or secured to the rope 13, thisloop beingplaced over the ball part of thereleasably holding meansbefore it engages the socket part so that a pull on the rope 13 willseparate the ball from `the Aand construction of the .g strapped by atraveler tothe socket and will permitthe bag to unfold.

As soon as this happens the spring 12 Will open the mouth of the bag soas to permit air to enter it and to distend it fully.

The folded bag-like life saving device may be placed in a casing 34having a telescoping bottom 35 and in this instance .the rope 31 may bemade to pass out through oneLside vofthe casing so, that it can beattached to a fixed support.; k.Iffdesnred 'the' rope can" ,also passout through the opposite side of the casing ywiththe belt 14 accessible`to the user of the device. OV n`g to the .material very compact andligt casing 34 and that ca side of his suit case and carried with himWhereverhe goes.

It is in the form of a flat thin box and yvill not'be longervthan the`ordinary suit case.

31.111 Ythe operation of the device the person e using it after seeingthat the automatlc catch 18 is properly secured to a fixed sup-nl portby-means of the end 2l simply fastens "tliebelt -14 around the Waistwith the rope 13 olirtlfie back. The operator then simply jumps fromthewindow of a building or v `e aeroplaneand'the bag-like device will beautomatically opened and distended and released from the support so thatit will support the operator like a parachute. The first operation isthe release of the kball and socket holding means 32 .Which allows thebag to unfold and the next thing which takes place is the release of thecatch 18 so as to letthe entire apparatus descend. When the casingfl; isused the operation may be exactly the same and in that case the upperhalf'of the casing may be left on the fixed support and the lower halfmay descend Ameansfor holding saidp'arachute in said compact form, aflexible connection from said parachute for supporting a person, andmeans operated by said flexible connection .for releasing said holdingmeans.

, `2. A life saving apparatus comprising a parachute of flexible fabricin bag-like shape adapted to be folded or'rolled into a bundle ofcompact form, ieXible means tending to open the mouth of said parachute,releasable means for holding said parachute in said compact form, aflexible connection from saidy parachute kfor 'supporting a person,means operated by said flexible connection for releasing said holdingmeans, a catch secured to said parachute adapted to releasably engage asupport, and meansbrought into operation as said parachute is distendedfor releasing said catch from the Support. f

A life saving apparatus comprising a member provided with a releasablecatch for 1 engaging'a su port of a -foldable parachute secured to saimember, releasable means for holding said parachute in foldedcondition,.

a flexible connection from said parachute to "support a person, meansoperated lbylsaid rliexible connection for releasing said holding meansupon the first pull on said flexible connection, and` means operated bythe weight of the person for releasing said catch before said parachuteis fully distended.

v4. A life saving apparatus ycomprising a parachute of flexible fabricin bag-like shape adaptedto be folded'or rolled into a bundle of compactlforfm, a catch secured to said parachute at its closed end adapted to-releasably engage a support, a connection to the open end of thepara-chute to support a person, vand means operated by the Weight of theperson for releasing said catch.

ilo

A 1,168,463 gil) 5. A life saving a paratus comprisingv a parachute ofexible abric in bag-like shape adapted to be folded or rolled into abundle of compact form, flexible means tending to open the mouth of saidparachute, releasable means for holding said parachute inv said compactform, a catch secured to said parachute at itsiclosed end yadapted toreleasably engage a? support, a ieXible connection to the openend of theparachute to support a person, and means operated by a pull on saidiexible connection for first releasing said holding means and thenreleasing said catch.

6. A life saving apparatus comprising a -parachute of flexible fabric inbag-like shape adapted to be folded or rolled into a' bundle of compactform,r iexible means tending to open the mouth of said parachute,releasable means for holding said parachute in said compact form, aflexible connection from 2o said parachute for supporting a person, athin liat substantially rectangular casin surrounding said foldedapparatus adapte to be strapped to the side of a suit case said casingbeing made up of telescoping-parts 25V and said iiexible connectionpassing through one of said telescoping parts and adapted t0 be securedto the body of a person.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature L in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM L. BEDINGER.

lWitnesses:

T. N. HARRIS,

THos. R. Romiti.l l

